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Nintendo and EB Celebrate the DS Together

I will admit, the Sunday, November 21st release date for the Nintendo DS has had me scratching my head. Why release it on a Sunday? Since there's no mail service on Sundays, we've been left to assume the DSes are already in stores, just waiting to be released. Now, we have confirmation of that, as Nintendo and EB games have announced that EB stores will be the first retailers to officially launch the new Nintendo handheld at midnight on Saturday, November 20th (tomorrow...eek!). However, with that being said, be sure to call your local EB store to make sure they are taking part in the launch festivities before you waste a perfectly good Saturday night in the local mall.
Also, for those of you who have missed the pre-order opportunity, I found that Amazon, while sold out of the lone DS handheld, does have a few Sims Urbz Nintendo DS Bundles available.

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Press Release

EB Games and Nintendo Celebrate Release of New Nintendo DS Video Game System

WEST CHESTER, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 19, 2004--

Fans at Special Midnight Sales Event Will Be First in the World to Experience Eagerly Awaited New System Offering the Industry's Most Advanced Interactive Game Play

EB Games (Electronics Boutique Holdings Corp.) (NASDAQ:ELBO) will be the first national retailer to officially launch the highly anticipated new Nintendo DS(TM) at midnight on Saturday, November 20th. The new system has been described by many in the video game industry to be the most innovative and advanced game platform to launch in more than a decade. The premiere national launch event will take place at midnight at EB Games' new flagship store at Universal CityWalk in Los Angeles.

Scheduled for release just in time for the holiday shopping season, the system is sure to please even the most discerning game player, and Nintendo plans to ship more than one million units by the end of the year in North America. Offering accelerated and sophisticated game play options, Nintendo fans will be able to experience new and classic game titles such as Mario(TM), Metroid(R), Madden, The Sims(TM), and Spider-Man(TM) for the Nintendo DS system in a whole new way.

The Nintendo DS features the most advanced cutting-edge portable play options for fans of any genre. It also boasts dual LCD screens and a touch screen technology that allows players to interact with game content -- and other players -- like never before. With the Nintendo DS wireless communication capability and built-in PictoChat(TM) software players can draw, send messages, and experience the most electrifying real-time, multi-player game play available in the industry.

The Nintendo DS national launch celebration at EB Games' Universal CityWalk store, considered by diehard gamers to be the interactive "hub" of the West Coast, is expected to attract the core of the dedicated game fan community that has long awaited the release of this landmark system. Pre-order customers and fans, expected to attend in the hundreds in anticipation of the midnight launch, will be able to enjoy the spirit of the local video game community and mix with peers and mutual fans. The EB Games event will feature live DJ music, spun by local artist "DJ Rap," prize giveaways, and live Astrovision game play on the giant screens above the EB Games store.

"Anticipation for the Nintendo DS system has been at an all time high," said Carol Beck, vice president of merchandising for EB Games, the leading specialty retailer of interactive entertainment products and the premiere gaming retailer for game consumers of all ages. "Nintendo DS promises to be one of the most advanced and innovative platforms ever developed. The system delivers a completely new experience for serious and more mature fans who crave the sophistication of 3D rendered graphics and the best real-time, multiplayer game play on the market. With pre-orders already exceeding our expectations, we know that we have a winner on our hands."

Nintendo DS will have a large library of titles to offer fans at launch time. The system will be bundled with a playable demo of the upcoming Metroid Prime(R) Hunters. In addition, a dozen titles will be initially available spanning every game genre, including Super Mario(R) 64 DS from Nintendo, Madden NFL 2005, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR(R) Golf and The Urbz(TM): Sims in the City(TM) from EA, Spider-Man 2(TM) from Activision, Ping Pals(TM) from THQ, Feel the Magic(TM): XY/XX from SEGA, Rayman(R) DS and Asphalt Urban GT(TM) and Sprung(TM) from Ubisoft, and Ridge Racer(R) DS and Mr. DRILLER(R) Drill Spirits(TM) from Namco. By the end of March, the Nintendo DS game library will include 20 to 25 games. More than 125 games remain in development worldwide, from Nintendo as well as every major third-party developer. To accommodate existing Nintendo fans, Nintendo DS is also backward compatible with Game Boy(R) Advance games, which has a library of more than 550 games.

The Nintendo DS system will retail for an MSRP of $149.99 at EB Games storefronts across the U.S. Standard add-ons include a built-in microphone port that enables players to interact more fully with their favorite games and rich stereo sound that delivers a virtual surround capability to enhance the energy of the system's immersive experience. System accessories such as an AC adaptor, Stylus set, and wrist strap will also be available and sold separately.

About Electronics Boutique Holdings Corp.

Electronics Boutique, a Fortune 1000 company, is the leading global specialty retailer dedicated exclusively to video game hardware and software, PC entertainment software, accessories, and related products. As of October 30th, EB Games operates 1,869 stores in the United States, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Puerto Rico, and Sweden -- primarily under the names EB Games and Electronics Boutique. The company operates an e-commerce website at www.ebgames.com. Additional company information is available at www.ebholdings.com.

About Nintendo Co., Ltd.

The worldwide leader and innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its popular home and portable video game systems. Each year, hundreds of all-new titles for the best-selling Game Boy(R) Advance, Nintendo DS(TM) and Nintendo GameCube(TM) systems extend Nintendo's vast game library and continue the tradition of delivering a rich, diverse mix of quality video games for players of all ages. Since the release of its first home video game system in 1983, Nintendo has sold more than 1.9 billion video games and more than 170 million hardware units globally, creating enduring industry icons such as Mario(TM) and Donkey Kong(R) and launching popular culture franchise phenomena such as Metroid(R), Zelda(TM) and Pokemon(R). A wholly-owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in the Western Hemisphere.

For more information about Nintendo, visit the company's website at www.nintendo.com.

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